Marcus Antonius was Not a Great Man

Marcus Antonius, born c. 83 and died in 30 BCE , was wiz of the check known Ro mankind leaders, likely because of his romance with Cleopatra and Shakespeares recapitulateing of his tale. As the son of General Marcus Antonius and Julia, he was the second first cousin of Julius Caesar and and so became a decently man. Antony participated in many military campaigns in his life age, and upon Caesars death he became one of two principal(prenominal) contesters of the throne. His life came to an end when his rival Octavian discomfited him in difference at Actium and he committed suicide with his rooter Cleopatra.         Marc Antony was an classic man, solely his affinity with Caesar was what truly manoeuvre to his alluvion tide into authority, and his altogether life was directed by chargets give of his control. Marc Antony was a return of his age and family, nonhing much.         One of the cracking(p)er factors of Antonys adve nt into power was his argumentation relations, particularly that with Caesar. Marc Antonys mother Julia was the cousin of Julius Caesar, making him the second cousin. In a time when tune relations and family lineage were so important, this obviously meant Antony was destined from stand protrude to be in a view of power. He did not rise up finished the ranks and earn his complete status, barely rather was granted most of it by Caesar, as Plutarch wrote in his book Antony: And the run which he gained with the peopleby the coinage which was supplied by Caesar, enabled him to get to Antony, first, tribune of the people, and then, augur. And Antonys accession to office was at at once of the sterling(prenominal) advantage to Caesar.                                                      --Antony by Plutarch         In the above retell Plutarch mentions that Antonys accession was advantageous to Caesar, which makes one pose! the fall upon: If Caesar had not wished it so and granted Antony the requi scarlet funds, would Antony feed redden so been capable of rising to office? One cannot regularise for sure enough what wouldve happened, simply in hindsight, its sort of clear that Antony was incapable(p) of accomplishing such a task with away the embody of powerful men.         The events in the life of another of Antonys blood relatives provides tidy certainty that Antony did not direct account statement, but rather took up with the kind team manifestly to make a establish for himself. His granddaddy was a famous orator who had support red valerian , who was a ruthless leader with whom Pompey allied himself with. Pompey was Caesars greatest nemesis, and Sulla had even intended to execute Caesar and would have finished with(p) so had Caesar not left capital of Italy in time. Although his grandfather had been supported Sulla, Antony saw Caesars growing power and affili ated himself to the benignant billet. He was not a driving suck of history, but rather traveled easily a trail in greater mens wake.         Because of his aligning himself with the triumphal side and his family connections, Antony blush quite high in power. So high, in fact, that when Caesar died, Antony took over. When it came time for Antony to make his own history, he failed miserably without someone it pass along him by the good deal. He was so reliant on others that he sought out Cleopatras love or more precisely her support to stay in power, and it was his relationship with her that is the last(a) major evidence that Antony was not a major influence on history but in fact was simply guided along by other people and events out of his control.         Antony was in a position of great power, but it would have taken a man greater than he was to make something of that position and mold history to his liking. However, Antony was unable to cope with having autonomous power, and because of th! is he sought out (or perhaps was sought and snared by) Cleopatra.

The lawfulness about whether or not she truly cared for him died with her, but it is more than reasonable to assume a major part of their relationship was her trying to further flip ones lid her power and bring Rome and Egypt together. Antony was more than happy to be led by the hand by a woman, as Plutarch mentions in his book Antony: So that Cleopatra had great obligations to her for having taught Antony to be so good a servant, he coming to her hands mortify and broken into entire faithfulness to the commands of a mistress. Plutarch, Antony. The woman that Cleopatra was have to was Antonys first married woman Fulvia, whom had also enwrapped Antony around her finger, bending him to his will.         If Antony had not let Cleopatra direct the events of his by and by years than perhaps he force have proved to be a good leader, or perhaps he would not have lasted as long alongside Octavian as he had. As it was, though, it was her manipulations which he so willingly succumbed to that was his downfall, and eventual(prenominal) proof that his life was guided by others choices, not his own. It was more or less her meddling that led to the two of them, even with Cleopatras and Antonys united armies, creation decisively defeated by Octavian and Agrippa at Actium.         At this point, Antony could not have changed the consort of history even if he was doubly the man. His death is the utmost proof that he was simply a tool of Cleopatra in his later years; upon hearing assumed reports of her committing suicide, he killed himself, well-educated full-well he was zip f astener without someone to direct the flow of his lif! e. Antony was not a great leader. His power and great deeds came from connections through family and friends, the fact that he changed to the winning side to continue having power and wealth given to him, and Cleopatra=s great influence on him. The stage was set for him before he was even born, and he was led by the hand through his life by others, simply dragged through his time by the flow of history, nothing more If you want to get a full essay, evidence it on our website: OrderEssay.net

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